Oregon passes ‘America’s first new gun law’ since Florida shooting

Law bars convicted domestic abusers and stalkers from having guns

Jeremy B. White
San Francisco
Tuesday 06 March 2018 21:58 GMT
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Oregon Governor Kate Brown used the bill signing to press Congress for federal gun safety legislation
Oregon Governor Kate Brown used the bill signing to press Congress for federal gun safety legislation

Oregon has enacted what its governor calls America’s first new gun law since a school shooting in Florida prompted a national push for tougher restrictions.

First proposed shortly before a gunman killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the new law prohibits people convicted of domestic violence or stalking from owning guns.

“I’m hopeful the tide is turning on our nation's gun debate, and that we now have the chance to enact meaningful change”, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said in a statement after signing the measure into law.

While student survivors of the Parkland massacre and gun control advocates have pushed for a ban on assault-style weapons, including the AR-15 model the Florida assailant used, measures to keep guns away from unstable people have better odds of winning Republican votes.

In Florida, both the Republican-controlled state legislature and Republican Governor Rick Scott have advocated giving courts the power to strip guns from people deemed to pose a threat to themselves or others. Legislators have also advanced a measure to arm trained and vetted teachers, an idea Mr Scott has rejected.

Donald Trump shocked the political world and defied his political allies last week in calling for firearms to be preemptively taken from people.

“Take the guns first, go through due process second”, Mr Trump said.

Donald Trump at school safety meeting: 'take the guns first, go through due process second'

In addition to potentially facing constitutional issues, the President's idea would be all but certain to fail in Congress, where the National Rifle Association wields immense clout.

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